How To: Social Wayfinding in Montreal

Hello, Timothy?

Hello?

You have a four day trip. Report time is at 7:15am.

Ok, thank you. *click*

It was about 6:00am when I received the call at home in Atlanta. Bag packed, wash up in 5 minutes, throw on a clean uniform, check the itinerary ...overnight in Montreal!... Grab camera, and walk out the door. By the time I was done with the fifth and final leg of the day and at my hotel room in Montreal, it was about 11:00pm. I had 12 hours before report time for the next days flights.

Guide books? Internet sites? There was no time to waste on traditional sources of information. Boulevard De Maisonneuve, the street where the hotel was located had bike lanes and sidewalks with a steady stream of foot traffic, a perfect place to start. With no guide or plan, this evening of exploration was to rely entirely on the spectacle of the street. The city is much like a stage with multiple acts performed throughout the day. In the morning you can see the bakery trucks and paper delivery vehicles, joggers, people dressed in business clothes, grabbing coffee greeting each other on their way to catch the train. At midday you will see restaurants and retail shops busy with customers, city workers on the streets, kids playing on the school yard. In the evening these same people are now dressed to go out, some are having dinner or at a bar meeting friends, some are out for an enjoyable walk, and others are just starting their shift at work. People on the street are an invaluable sources of knowledge, all one must do is ask.

First Impressions are important: How you look and how they look
With my camera in hand, a simple plain black bag, and inconspicuous clothing, I like to look like a photojournalist rather than a tourist. I started off by following an attractive looking couple. They both had skinny jeans on, he had a scarf and fedora, she was wearing a simple top accented with funky jewelry around her wrists and neck. As they finished their cigarettes I observed them walking quickly down one busy looking street. I look for visual cues such as these because I am looking for bohemian, artistic enclaves, with locally owned shops and dives. If one is looking for something a bit more refined, then I would suggest watching what people look like who step into taxis or are driving expensive cars, mingle in the lobby of a four star hotel. Just realize that it is important for you to dress the part, this way people won't assume that you just want to find the nearest tourist trap.

Mining good information: Looking for keywords
Further down that busy street, I began shooting photos of Montreal at night. Colored lights coming through tiffany glass of an old apartment window, fluorescents illuminating a store front window display. Some times I like to break the ice by asking someone for a cigarette or a light. This time, I was approached on the street by a young man wearing a sombrero and t-shirt, in a Irish accent he asked me to take his picture because it was his birthday. He was with a few friends, all in their twenties, maybe students, fairly interesting looking people. So I took his picture, wished him a happy birthday, and asked where a good place to get a drink would be. They mentioned a few places and said I might want to go to the Saint Laurent neighborhood. I went on my way and found a fashion forward Canadian with a thick French accent waiting at the bus stop. I asked her if she knew where Saint Laurent was and if there was anything interesting going on over there. The response was positive, I knew I was on the right trail.

Plan to get lost: A few steps at a time
One of the most important rules for enjoyable exploration is to be willing to wander and get lost. At the same time it is always nice to have good memories of your travels so you can share them with others later, and so that you can eventually find your way back at the end of the day. I approached a couple of people standing outside of the Saint Laurent train station. The girl was wearing a grunge pop punk outfit and her friend looked like he might fit into a ska ensemble. They were very friendly and looked like they spend a lot of their time in the neighborhood. After a quick chat I found myself at a bar that everyone calls Frou Frou. A large graffiti wall greets you as you walk through the wrought iron gate entrance. Almost everything was lit with white and red Christmas lights except for the bright florescent lighting over the skateboard ramp on the open air second level. As soon as I entered the place I knew that I found what I was looking for, I had a relaxing drink and cigarette, took some photos of the skateboarders and soon it was time to return.
Once I left I simply back tracked, from Frou Frou to the spot with the grunge pop punk ska pair, from there to the spot where I spoke with the fashion forward Canadian at the bus stop, from there to the spot where I met the sombrero wearing birthday crew, from there to the corner where I saw the attractive couple with tight jeans and cigarettes, and finally back to my hotel.

Without a guide book or a map, in an unfamiliar place, some might feel concerned about venturing out alone. With these few simple rules you will find that it is not so difficult. Social Wayfinding is actually very easy, just ask anyone on the street.